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SmashBox: Hollywood Glamour, Factor Style!Jan 14 '02 (Updated Jan 16 '02) Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Cosmetics
The Bottom Line You must check out SmashBox's innovative line of cosmetics, but exercise your money-saving savvy and sample it first with the discount prices on QVC.
Ladies, pout those lips, strike a pose, get in your sexiest pin-up girl state-of-mind because SmashBox hearkens back to the golden days when Max Factor defined Hollywood glamour. And that’s not just because SmashBox caters to the modern movie star elite with its photo-come-make-up studio, it just so happens that Mr. Factor’s grandsons, Dean and Davis Factor, are the brainchild behind this exciting new cosmetics line. If you’re a make-up fanatic like me, you have about 20 once-used lipsticks at the bottom of your vanity drawer and no less than a half dozen eyeliners crowding your countertop. And while flipping through TV channels you probably pause at every make-up commercial, mesmerized by the flawless-faced model staring back at you. You must have that eye shadow she’s wearing or you will not truly be happy! Channel surfing one evening, I whizzed by the shop-at-home channel QVC, as I’m disinterested in farm animal-embroidered denim shirts and frilly bed linens, not to mention an overly enthusiastic hostess who’s as sugary sweet to Penny in Pottersville as Penny’s voice is shrill and annoying. However, this particular evening, there was no Penny. Three women dressed in simple black, seated upon high-backed make-up chairs flashed before me, being busily powdered by a striking make-up artist. I stopped, I looked, I listened. The product: SmashBox. Of course, it’s not to be confused with the funky pop band Smashmouth. Or smashmouth football. But SmashBox may as well have been named Smashmouth for the smashingly sexy mouth you’ll have once you don their lip products. But I’m getting ahead of myself. SmashBox is named for an old-fashioned accordian-like camera, and considering the company began as a photo studio, the name suits them well. Based in Culver City, California, SmashBox serves Hollywood and Madison Avenue advertisers alike with a bevy of talented make-up artists, hair stylists, fashion stylists and principal photographers. The SmashBox make-up brand was a natural extension of the studio’s capabilities and the family business, considering the Factor history. Humble as ever, the Factors don't necessarily tout their family roots, wanting instead to have their products, not their name, build the reputation of the company. (It is curious to note that the family is no longer involved with the current Max Factor brand.) SmashBox offers a variety of high-end (read: expensive) cosmetics for the eyes, nails, lips, and face, as well as a professional-quality line of brushes and applicators. So what is so exciting about SmashBox? They have taken old favorites, classic make-up and redefined it with an innovative twist. I present to you the SmashBox cream eyeliner. Yes, you read that correctly: cream. Packaged in a .06 oz round container, my Smashbox cream eyeliner appears to be just another eye shadow. However, grasp the accompanying brush and sweep it back and forth over the product: creamy, yet still very solid. The horizontal bristles then tap above your lashes to reveal a light, smudge-proof line of color, yet there’s no tugging and pulling the eyelids. Ingenious, I say! Revolutionary! And the "Smashing Bronze” color, it simply shimmers. With my olive skin tones, it’s a perfect complement. But ladies, this color was made exclusively for QVC! Available colors include Cameo, Caviar, Midnight Brown, Midnight Green, Midnight Purple, Patina, Picasso, and Thunder. Considering the cream eyeliner is a very expensive $22.00 if purchased directly from www.smashbox.com (size of product not mentioned), it’s out of the reach of the average drug-store make-up consumer. Although, I will add that the cream eyeliner I have had for over six months has not shown any sign of running out before the end of this decade. Other Smashbox innovations include the “Brow Tech” kit that delicately waxes your eyebrows for a smooth, groomed look and my current can’t-live-without-it lip lacquer: “Lip Brilliance”. Part lipstick, part lip gloss, “Lip Brilliance” is a clever little three-color compact that delivers a punch to your pucker. The “Lightbox” color combo contains a warm mauve, a darker chocolate, and a sheer, shimmering gold. Whether you wear one at a time or combine all three, “Lip Brilliance” gives you a multitude of possibilities in one sleek, thin compact. Unlike bulky lipstick tubes, the “Lip Brilliance” fits comfortably in your pocket for on-to-go style. Another interesting product is the “Wet/Dry Foundation” which I have found to work far better dry than wet. Comprised of a finely-sifted powder, the “Wet/Dry Foundation” appears to be just another powder compact. But once again, appearances can be deceiving. A very light swipe of the puff reveals a weightless application of powder that covers and conceals enough to be called “foundation” yet is sheer enough to appear very natural, letting your own skin tones shine through. Wetting the puff is supposed to offer thicker coverage, but I found the water ruins the otherwise perfect application provided by the dry powder. Those who want a glistening complexion can try the Smashbox “Highlighter”, a creamy concoction of pearlescent white that can give a luminous luster to your eyelids or can be mixed with your daily moisturizer for an all-over glow. Considering its genesis in Hollywood, it’s not surprising that SmashBox is a very expensive brand. Movie stars and pop divas may not blink at spending $22.00 on an eyeliner, but the average beauty devotee will have to be highly convinced before plunking down twenty bucks on a little-known product. However, rejoice, there is good news: very good SmashBox deals can be had on QVC, and the amount of hostess banter is usually held to a minimum during these shows. Stay tuned and as soon as I get more information on their schedule, I’ll update and post it here. I contacted QVC directly but the show schedule through February 3 did not reveal a SmashBox entry. Besides QVC, SmashBox can be found at select department stores, specialty cosmetic venues, and online at www.smashbox.com. Enter a zip code or state at www.smashbox.com and a list of nearby stores will be presented. Finally, please remember ladies: be beautiful, be confident, but most importantly, be happy! Cheers!  |
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